My purpose of buying picajet was so that I could manage my photo's. Have now discovered I can't put any metadata on my raw files, and since that's all I shoot, Picajet has become not much use any more unless this feature is added.

Following from recent thread re. moving images and loss of categfory data: it is imperative that we have IPTC data for RAW files.

Thanks

Andrew

RAW format specifications is not for public - it's mean that nobody guarantees you that if the camera manufacturer changes his RAW format third-party programs will works correclty with files. There are even possible damages/losses of the files.

The DNG format - is the open standard supporting by Adobe. It's mean that photos stored as DNG can be correctly handled on the future.

One of the advantages of the DNG format is storing XMP data internally inside the file.

We experimenting with RoboImport software now which can map IPTC fields into the Adobe DNG XMP data.

I think your missing a huge trick here, as even some compacts are now shooting RAW and as DSLR's become mainstream, it will become all pervasive. DNG is probably a better idea but has failed to take off as yet, and to be honest is unlikely to do so if it's in the manufacturers interest to keep proprietry technology.

The first complaint about Aperture came moments after the announcement, when people complained that it wasn't possible to export raw+IPTC. Apple explained that they were against writing to any raw file, because there's no standard for IPTC data inside most raw file types.

This area will need to be addressed by Apple or by some developer who makes a tool to take those exported master files and combines them with the IPTC data into a DNG or a raw+XMP output. In our opinion, the fact that this seems so easily doable yet absent will prevent many early adopters from picking up a copy. While we wouldn't hesitate to recommend Aperture to professional photographers, it's still understandable that some want to wait until they can export their images with the hard-added IPTC data intact."

I think this is quite succinct in its damnation of aperture for the very same reason I am pushing you to implement a solution. Without IPTC tags and RAW support, Picajet will be left behind.

I'm no expert of the data formats (I'm a building surveying student) but I have come to realise the importance of the tags in cataloguing large libraries. A solution is desperately needed if you are to keep existing and get new customers. I'm guessing many Picajet owners are like myself, love photography, have a large collection but not the resources of a professional. Yet this very customer is the one buying the cheaper DSLR and sinking under the wirght of files.

Rant over, now I'm off to have a better look at the competition having seen what's out there. Picajt was a great bit of software, you guys do a great job of responding to customer feedback, but please, fix this!"!!!!!

So here's a compromise: how easily could Picajet convert RAW to DNG prior to the metadata being added? I know the Fotki uploader does a superb (and fast) job of batch converting .mrw to jpeg.

I guess that the better stage to convert RAW to DNG format is import moment. You can check RoboImport for this. But you given us some ideas about implementing DNG Conversion from organizer (in organizing stage).